Burial vault



J. STCKER BURIAL vAuLT Feb. 10, 1931.

Filed Aug. 19. 1929- Fig. 2.

8. Jerry Stkr gzrmm Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED STATES JERRY s'roxRR, or OMAHA, NEBRASKA BURIAL vAUL'r Application filed August 19, 1929. Serial No. 386,846.

This invention relates to a burial vault consisting of a plain or reinforced'cement receptacle or vault for use in a grave for receiving a casket to protect the latter from water or moisture.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide such a construction that the vault, at its junction with the lid orpcover will be hermetically sealed by a plastic adhesive when placed thereon. Another object is to provide a sealing joint which will be free from projections or excrescencies so that the co-acting parts will not become injured during the operation of molding or shipping.

Still another object is to provide a sealing vjoint for the vault-body and lid which will prevent the plastic adhesive material from entering the vault and injuring or defacing the casket when the cover is applied.

With these objects in view, the invention presents a new and useful construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, andas illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that changes may be made in size, proportion and minor details, said changes eing within the scope of the invention as claimed.

' In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the receptacle or body of the vault, the cover or lid being removed. Fig. 2 is a side view of the vault, a part being broken away and in section. Y

Fig. 3 is a view of the vault in transverse section. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a part of the vault.

Referring now to the drawing for a more particular description, numeral 5 indicates the receptacleV or body of the vault, kthe lid or cover therefor being indicated at 6, these parts being constructed of plain or reinforced cement, and being approximately of rectangular form in plan and open at its top.

Numeral 7 indicates a continuous groove or i5 channel which opens on the top of the side walls and end walls of said receptacle, each Vouter wall 8 of said channel having its inner surface formed outwardly divergent from the bottom of the channel to the top of said wall,

2""1 and each inner `wall 9 of the channel 7 having its inner surface disposed approximately in a vertical plane, and, as clearly shown in the drawing', the inner wall 9 extends upwardly a greater distance from the bottom of the channel than the wall 8.

The lid or cover is preferably of arch-form and is provided with a continuous tongue l0-V for engaging in the channel 7 when the parts are assembled, and as clearly shown in the drawing, the outer wall of thetongue is Go formed downwardly and inwardly inclined and the inner wall 11 of the tongue is disposed approximately in a vertical plane, and preferably a depression is formed in the inner side of the cover to provide a recess a: and o5 ledge 12, and when the. parts are assembled this ledge will be 'disposed adjacent to and somewhat below the top of the inner wall 9 of the receptacle 5. The outer sidel edge of the lid or cover at its junction with its tongue 7o 10 is provided with a ledge 13.

The tongue has a lesser volume than the area of the channel to provide recesses for purposes of sealing. After the receptacle 5 .has been placed in a grave a casket (not shown) may be placed therein. A quantity of soft cement or other adhesive material 14 (Fig. 4) is placed in the channel. The cover is thenlowered in thevgrave, its tongue 10 entering the channel 7. e0

The weight of the cover will cause the cement to fill all of the space. or recesses between the walls of the tongue and interior surfaces ofthe channel. Also the space between the ledge 13 and top of the wall 8 will 85 be lled with sai-d material.

The recess between the wall 8 of the channel and adjacent surface of they tongue is greater'than the recess between the tonguev and wall 9 and therefore if the material 14 is forced outwardly by'pressure, the greater part of excess material 14 will move outwardly ofthe vault. Any excess of the adhesive material 14 which moves to the top of the inner wall 9 of the channel may be deposited on the ledge 12 and ltherefore might f not enter the receptacle, this feature being Y to prevent any injury to or-defacement of the casket. Since the top of the wall 9 will be disposed above the ledge 12 of the cover,

a pocket or continuous groove will be formed between these parts for receiving excess cement and when this material in the groove thus formed becomes set or hardened it will operate as a detent to lock the cover 6 upon the body 5 of the vault.

In the use of cement vaults of the class described the important features are to provide effective sealing, a suitable shape or form so that the vault-body and cover may be practically molded and means to prevent any excess cement from entering the vault from the channel during the operation of sealing, and it is considered that these advantages have been attained by the construction as shown and described.

I claim as my invention,-

A cement burial vault comprising a receptacle open at its top and having a continuous channel opening on the top'thereof, the outer wall of said channel being outwardly divergent from the bottom of the channel to the top of said wall, the inner wall of the channel extending upwardly in substantially a vertical plane and to a greater height than vthe outer wall or" the channel, 'a cover for the receptacle having'a depending tongue or' the same conliguration as the groove, said tongue being of less area than the channel, the cover having a recess inthe inner side adjacent to and extending below the top of the innerwall of the channel whereby a ledge is provided in the inner side orp the cover adjacent the inner wall of the channel, the cover also having a ledge at the junction of the tongue with the outer side edgeof the cover adapted to rest upon the top of the outer wall of the channel.

In testimony whereof I have aflCiXed my signature.

JERRY STOKER. 

